The State Bureau of Investigation detained one of the largest suppliers to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation detained a Lviv businessman, one of the largest suppliers of the Ministry of Defense, who offered 500 thousand dollars to one of the heads of the Main Investigation Department of the State Bureau of Investigation. The press service of the department reported this on Friday, December 29.
The bribe was offered to help return assets seized from companies he controlled during a criminal investigation.
A few months ago, the Bureau started criminal proceedings on transactions related to the purchase of clothing and linen for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Lviv business companies won 23 tenders to supply the Ministry of Defense with clothing worth more than 1.5 billion hryvnias.
During the investigation, it was established that the enterprises controlled by the businessman, which were previously engaged in the construction and did not have sufficient production, warehouses and other facilities for the production and storage of clothing for the needs of the Ministry of Defense , is involved in the implementation of defense orders. This caused damage to the budget, according to preliminary estimates, of 1.2 billion Hryvnia and, accordingly, a disruption in supplies.
Law enforcement officials discovered a complete failure to fulfill six contracts. Under at least seven contracts, the enterprises delivered goods to the warehouses of military units in small quantities only, but received government funds for the full fulfillment of the obligations. It was also found that eight contracts were completed with a delay of 3 to 5 months.
An analysis of foreign economic contacts and customs documents of these enterprises revealed the facts of overestimation of the value of goods supplied to the Ministry of Defense. The involvement in the transactions of former officials of the Ministry of Defense, who did not take any legal action to ensure the execution or termination of the contracts, has been proven.
According to preliminary estimates, the cost of damage may reach more than 1 billion hryvnia. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
The issue of informing the person involved in the suspicion and choosing a preventive measure in the form of detention is being resolved. He faces up to eight years in prison.
We remind you that earlier law enforcement officials exposed the former deputy minister of defense for embezzlement of almost 1 billion Hryvnias. In addition, the SBU and the Ministry of Defense discovered and liquidated a scheme for the purchase of artillery shells for the Armed Forces of Ukraine for about one and a half billion Hryvnias.
Source: korrespondent
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